Your ATTN Please || Tuesday, 6 May

It’s been a wild 2025 for Duolingo (and we’re not even halfway through).

First, Duo the owl got hit by a cybertruck (RIP). Then, he rose from the dead (iconic). But now, the app has announced it’s going “AI-first,” with plans to replace contractors first. The CEO has assured us Duolingo still “deeply cares about its employees” (eyeroll). Not surprisingly, this news has been met with swift backlash.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Duolingo goes “AI first”, Lady Gaga never stopped being cool & “Not Like Us” reaches 1.4B streams

Duolingo becomes an "AI-first" company and sets off job crisis alarm bells.

We don't mean to cause an AI panic. We've already had years of it, and in many ways we see the benefits of embracing newer tech now versus later. But like it or not, Duolingo's recent announcement that it's becoming an "AI-first" company is the first big domino to fall in what may soon become an AI job crisis. The app's co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn made the announcement last week, saying that generative AI helped his team make 148 new courses in the span of a year. In the before-times, it took them 12 years to create their first 100 courses. The company's already made big cuts to its workforce in recent years, replacing contracted translators and writers with AI.

Through a broader lens, journalist Brian Merchant noted an unusually high unemployment rate among recent college graduates. One likely factor is companies replacing entry-level white collar jobs with AI, or spending on AI in a way that reduces capacity for new hires. He explained that this oncoming job crisis is really "a series of management decisions being made by executives seeking to cut labour costs and consolidate control in their organisations."

Lady Gaga's Brazil show smashes attendance records.

Remember over a decade ago, when Lady Gaga blew up and was in her apparent prime? When she had a monumental career in the late 00s/early 10s, but never quite saw those same heights in the decade to come? Well think again, y'all. The truth is she never left and her fan base of "little monsters" never dwindled. All the proof you need is her world record-breaking show in Brazil over the weekend.

Gaga performed a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, her first performance in the country in 12 years. Only a year ago at the very same beach, Madonna set the records for the most attended concert by a standalone artist (not counting festivals or New Year's celebrations), and most attended concert for a female artist - 1.6 million. Gaga crushed those records, drawing a monstrous 2.5 million fans to her show. It's not my place to call anyone a queen, but dang it Gaga - you slayed like there was no tomorrow, you absolute queen.

Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" just turned one - and broke yet another record.

The biggest song from the now-infamous Kendrick vs Drake beef just turned a year old. And 12 months ago, we really thought that was the end of it, didn't we? Many avid listeners described the song as the "roll credits" of the battle, the killing blow in this battle of industry titans. But then came the "Pop Out" show in LA, a cultural landmark for West Coast hip hop, the 5 for 5 Grammy sweep, including both Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and of course the Super Bowl, which set a halftime performance viewership record. The song was played or performed at all three events, and the crowd sang the "A minor" line deafeningly loud each time.

Now that the track's a year old, it's officially set a new Spotify record: the most streamed rap song ever within a single year. At 1.44 billion streams, it's clear this diss track is a cultural moment that will transcend time and every face of music that comes and goes. Mustard on the motherf**king beat, hoe.

-Devin, Copywriter

DEEP DIVE

Brat Summer is so 2024. Here's what's next...

There was one dominant vibe in the warmer months of last year, northern hemispherically-speaking.

(Yes that’s a word. No don’t look it up.)

One vibe to rule them all.

Brat Summer.

Before that, we had Barbenheimer Summer. Before THAT, the predecessor, the original, Hot Girl Summer. Of course, with spring comes the seasonal trend predictions – what colours and patterns are in (florals? Groundbreaking!), what will be the “song of the summer,” and what’s the drink that we’ll all mindlessly consume on nights of bliss/oblivion?

However, these things are no longer enough in isolation since we started branding the whole season.

It must now strongly wield a clear title. And since Charli XCX seems to be the decider of such things, I-D looked to her Coachella performance to decipher what may be in store for the dog days of this year.

So, here they are, along with a few ways you can incorporate these themes into your campaigns over the coming months. Marketers, eat your pretty hearts out.

Crash Out Summer (aka: capitalism is melting, and so are we.)

Disassociation chic. Think heatstroke, techwear from a Berlin flea market, designer socks in a 110°F abandoned mall.

For marketers:

• Own the chaos. Lean into messy, frayed, imperfect storytelling.

• Visual palette: Butter yellow (fake optimism), washed-out mint, end-of-day mauve.

• Fashion inspo: Sheer, scorched, slouchy. Miu Miu meets Sims but the thermostat is stuck at 110°F.

• Mood: It's not dystopia. It's just... Tuesday.

Idea: Launch campaigns that embrace the collapse lightly—"Summer Sale, Even If It’s the End of the World" energy.

Same Girl Summer (aka: stand out by blending in.)

Claw clips, white tanks, medium wash jeans. Everyone is twinning on purpose because it's all about group aesthetic over individuality.

For marketers:

• Lean into "community over individuality." Think matching merch drops, friend bundles, twinning sets.

• "Find your people" storytelling > "be unique" storytelling.

• Retail tip: Everyone wants their version of the same thing. Micro-variations are key (colourways, slight tweaks).

Idea: Create "same but different" capsule collections or group activations that celebrate matching.

Capri Sun Summer (aka: rich in vibes, poor in PTO.)

Everyone is pretending they’re permanently on a yacht off Capri. Ambiguously wealthy slacker energy.

For marketers:

• Sell the soft life, even if it's fake. “Work from anywhere” campaigns, rich-uncle aesthetics.

• Time-sensitive offers: Think “Out of Office after 1PM" specials.

• Lifestyle brands: Flex on “experiences > things.”

Idea: Brand collabs with boat shoes, rosé, and linen shirts (no actual yacht needed).

Amoeba Boyfriend Summer (aka: no thoughts, just vibes.)

Forget Golden Retriever Boyfriend. We’re down to single-cell organisms. Passive, non-committal, ambient presence.

For marketers:

• Celebrate low-effort everything. No big "life-changing" promises. Just vibes.

• Products that "exist with you": cosy wearables, ambient playlists, lazy skincare.

• Messaging tip: Lower the energy required. Think: "It’s here if you want it."

Idea: Market products as the ultimate "non-boyfriend" energy—they won’t ask anything of you.

Cringe-Core (aka: earnest is back, baby.)

Dancing badly in the supermarket. Posting emotional Instagram captions with Natasha Bedingfield lyrics UNIRONICALLY. This has been bubbling for a while and it’s finally here.

• Ditch irony. Embrace cringe and vulnerability in campaigns.

• Encourage self-expression without polish. User-generated content = gold.

• Feel-good > Cool: Campaigns that make people FEEL proud, silly or seen will win.

Idea: Launch a "Cringe is Courage" summer series, rewarding the most adorably embarrassing community posts.

So, what have we learned from all this?

• "Real" is hotter than "cool."

• "Group identity" beats "main character syndrome."

• "Life is messy," and that's your brand opportunity.

Or, you could take the full Nietzsche approach and say who cares, none of this means anything, enjoy your summer. You have free will, and that has nothing to do with me x

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

You are under spells

This one’s for the delulu girlies, marketing bros, and anyone who’s ever justified buying another Ninja appliance.

The sound comes from a viral TikTok Live where Blac Chyna’s mum, Tokyo Toni, full-body yells: “You are under spells, people. YOU ARE.” It’s dramatic. It's unprovoked. It's giving “SNAP OUT OF IT!” energy and TikTok has turned it into a ritual cleansing of our collective obsessions.

This sound is being used to point out the things we all seem brainwashed by; the buzzwords, content tropes and products that feel... a little culty when you say them out loud.

How you can jump on this trend: 

To the now iconic sound, make a list of marketing, personal brand, or office life obsessions that feel a bit too religious at this point. Then lip-sync the sound like you’re calling it out at a sermon.

A few ideas to get you started:

• “girlboss energy”

• “Notion dashboards”

• “Canva eBooks”

• “engagement bait”

• “soft launches”

• “AI avatars”

• “beige branding”

• “content pillars”

• “micro-influencer era”

• “fake case studies”

- abdel, brand & marketing executive

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲WTF: Lady Gaga’s show was CRAZY
✨Daily inspo: Just. Ignore. Them.
😊Soooo satisfying: For the avocado lovers
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Nandos but at home

ASK THE EDITOR

I've been making Reels for my candle business. How do I start getting some sales from my audience? - Terrance

Hey Terrance!

Social media is a brand-building tool rather than a sales tool. This means you need to concentrate on making content people want to watch rather than content that directly sells your products. Lucky for you, a handmade candle business lends itself to this. You could try creating videos showing your process, as this is a common type of content that lots of people like to watch. It also happens to be a natural way to showcasing your products.

If you do this consistently, you'll eventually build up an audience. They'll start asking where they can buy your products without you ever selling to them. Yes, it may take some time to get there. But you'll get much better long-term results than if you go in with the hard sell.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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